Ministry of Micro,Small & Medium Enterprises
KVIC Chairman reviews activities related to ongoing Khadi and Village Industries Development Scheme in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam
In an effort to take the 'Self-reliant India ' and 'Local to Global' campaign of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to the remote villages of the North Eastern States, Shri Manoj Kumar, Chairman Khadi and Village Industries Commission visited Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. During his stay from May 8 to May 13, he contacted with the beneficiaries of the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Program  along with reviewing the activities related to the ongoing Khadi and Village Industries Development Scheme in Arunachal Pradesh where he inspired the people to join the self-reliant India campaign of Prime Minister. In order to provide employment opportunities to maximum numbers of youths, a PMEGP awareness camp was also organized in Tawang on Friday.
On the occasion the KVIC Chairman while addressing the gathering, announced the opening of sub-office of KVIC, Itanagar in Tawang city. There has been a log pending demand from the people of Tawang to open an office here. It takes approximately 48 hours i.e. 2 days to reach Tawang from KVIC Itanagar office. After the opening of the sub-office of KVIC in Tawang, it would cater the maximum employment opportunities and needs for the youth of Tawang city.
The visit of North Eastern States was initiated by Chairman KVIC from Assam on 8th May. He distributed Bee-boxes, pickle making machines and automatic incense sticks making machines to the beneficiaries in two different programs here. In Kumarikata village of Tamulpur, he distributed 500 Bee-boxes to 50 beekeepers, while at KVIC Complex in Guwahati, 40 pickle-making machines and 20 automatic agarbatti making machines were handed over to the beneficiaries. Further, in the process of the same a pilot project related to footwear industry was also launched in Six-Mile Guwahati under the Village Industries Development Scheme here.
On his way to Tawang from Guwahati, Chairman also inspected several industrial units set-up under PMEGP at Bomdila in West Kameng district on 9th May. Addressing the young entrepreneurs there, the Chairman said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India is fast moving towards becoming a world leader. The indigenous local products of KVIC are now rapidly making global recognitions. He called upon the young entrepreneurs of Arunachal Pradesh to prepare such local products with such quality that their demand increases globally.
On 10th May, Shri Manoj Kumar attended an awareness camp under Gramodyog Vikas Yojana and Prime Minister's Employment Generation Program  at Lohu, Arunachal Pradesh where a large number of youth and beneficiaries participated in the camp. Addressing the gathering, he said that today he himself has brought the vision of Prime Minister among the youths of Arunachal, in which he has appealed the youths of the country, to become job provider instead of becoming a job seeker.
The Chairman also visited the Khadi Eri Silk Training cum Production Center at Lohu on the occassion. It would be worth mentioning here that KVIC had set up Khadi Eri Silk Training cum Production Center at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh in bordering China and Bhutan last year, in a historic move to revive the silk industry in Arunachal Pradesh and to generate local employment in a sustainable manner, therewith. The center is stationed on the snow-clad Himalayan peaks at an altitude of about 14,000 feet, and it established with the assistance of the Buddhist Culture Protection Society, Bomdila. The Society has provided the building for the Silk Center and the KVIC has provided the necessary infrastructures like handlooms, charkhas, silk reeling machines and warping drums etc. It is providing direct employment to 20 women artisans from Tawang and West Kameng districts. Chairman assured the artisans that a branch of Khadi Eri Silk Training cum Production Center would be opened in Tawang town, also. He further said that after the year 2014 the determined intentions of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi have worked to infuse new life into the Khadi sector. Khadi has now become global from local and upto 31st January, 2023, the turnover of KVI products has crossed the figure of 1,08,000 crores in the financial year 2022-23.
Shri Manoj Kumar visited also Monpa Handmade Paper Making Unit in Tawang and also met the artisans associated with it. Significantly, to mention here that, due to the dedicated efforts of KVIC, the 1000 years old traditional art of Arunachal Pradesh, Monpa Handmade Paper Industry, which had become extinct recently, has now come alive once again. The Monpa Handmade Paper making art originated over 1000 years ago, and gradually became an integral part of the local customs and cultures in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh. For the last 100 years, this handmade paper industry had almost disappeared; and which has now become functional again in the year 2020 with the help of KVIC. Mr Kumar congratulated the artisans associated with Monpa Handmade Paper Industry and assured that 50 artisans would be sent for a training at Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute of KVIC, Jaipur, so as to make Monpa handmade paper a world class paper product. He further said that there is a good demand for traditional handmade Monpa papers in the international markets, and it will be the endeavor of KVIC to bring recognition to the Monpa handmade paper of Arunachal Pradesh in the international market, thereby generating more and more employment.
The Chairman, distributed pickle-making machine to 20 beneficiaries on 12th May at Bomdila, Arunachal. He said that with the inspiration of Prime Minister KVIC is constantly striving hard to provide employment to every village. KVIC is distributing tools and machinery to the workers of Indian traditional industries under the Gramodyog Vikas Yojana, thereby increasing the income of the artisans of traditional industries, improving their standard of living, as well as preserving and promoting Indian traditional industries, thereby anticipating the rural economy to become more strengthened.